Time in Eternity
by The Fallen Angel of Death
Summary: RihoShido pairings. This takes place in the past of Transelvania. Cain has left in search of the golden dawn. Shido, hunting one night happens apon a strange young girl who doesn't want death yet.
1. Default Chapter

Death: Hello, this is my first story written about Nightwalker. So you'll excuse a bit of OOCness won't you?  
  
Disclaimer; do I own? No. Could I? No. Do I want to? HELL YES! Leave me alone about it.  
  
~*Chapter 1*~  
  
~*Dark encounters*~  
  
It was night now, and by no means was Riho a fool, she may have been young, but she knew what the darkness brought from the shadows. So as she moved, she did it slowly, so as not to attract unwanted attention.  
  
She couldn't remember the exact date, but it was sometime late winter two years past. She thought on this often, but could not remember whom it was that did this, but what she did know, was that it happened at night. Her whole family, mother, father, and brother, were taken from her by the jaws of a monster, a night walking, human eating, MONSTER!  
  
She looked around her nervously, how stupid could she have been? She knew that she should have gone back home before the sun set, yet something in her told her to find Miro. Two nights ago, he had disappeared, presumed dead, and yet Riho couldn't believe the people, she felt that he was still alive.  
  
Now the dark night sky was hanging over her head, the sounds of an evening for the creatures of the shadows reached her ears.  
  
She pressed on, determined to get home, but when she came face-to-face with an ally way, she stopped. This ally was between two of the larger houses in the area both abandoned. Not uncommon in 1789 Translevania.  
  
She looked into the ally apprehensively, on the one hand she could go through, it would take less time and she wouldn't be in the open, or she could go the long way, which left her vulnerable.  
  
The wisest choice would obviously be the first one. Only problem was how to get through a place of shadows alive in a night of the shadows hunting?  
  
Deciding quickly Riho stalked into the ally. She listened for any sounds that may indicate danger, nothing. Yet she could not, no matter how hard she tried to force it into the back of her mind, shake the feeling that she was being watched. The only thing she could hope was that she was being paranoid.  
  
Near the end of the ally she sighed deeply, she was almost home, once out of here it was less than two blocks to her little shack like house.  
  
That's when it happened. A shadow on top of a building to her left moved. It started out as a black lump on the building but it grew, it started to rise and take the form of a person. (Like someone who is crouching rising to a standing position slowly), this shadow looked humanoid but when it opened it's eyes, the eyes being the only thing she could distinguish on him. It revealed eyes of yellow, with cat-like slits, the mark of the vampire.  
  
Riho stood paralyzed, from fear, or from a vampirick spell, she didn't know.  
  
All that she did know was that, as the vampire jumped from the building and began walking toward her, she could not taker her blue eyes from his yellow- gold ones. His eyes, so beautiful were they, she didn't seem to remember what they meant for her.  
  
Slowly his body became more distinct, she could see his hair was a strange form of silver, he was tall, and very handsome. Yet she didn't care, she could only look into his eyes, there was no way this was just a spell, she must be in love, she decided.  
  
The vampire in question smirked slightly he loved to play with his food. Toying with the mind was an enjoyable game that Cain had taught him long ago. He didn't find as much enjoyment in it as Cain did, but Cain assured him that all of his apprehensions would soon be gone.  
  
He continued to stare into the girl's wide young eyes. He could clearly see the obvious attraction burning in them. Good, he thought, that made it a little easier and even more fun.  
  
His stride was a casual one as he reached her, he didn't move faster than a walk the entire time. A strange turn from the usual run he got, but that's what spells were for. He reached out for her and the only movement she made was a bit of a flinch with her eyes. The spell should have been broken then, when the eye contact was gone, but she still did not move, either never having fought the spell, or having given up.  
  
Wrapping his arms around her when he got close enough to her he smirked down at her. What a naïve fool she is, well, was any way.  
  
He slid his left hand up her back and onto her neck, he tilted her head to the side slightly and lowered his head to the now exposed flesh. He breathed on her neck as she shivered. Somehow he felt slightly bad about this, but he dismissed the thought completely.  
  
He licked the tender spot on her neck and she continued to shiver, scared completely by now. He pressed his lips against her neck and smirked before pulling back just enough to sink his long fangs into her tender skin.  
  
"Uh. Ahh." She said for lack of ability to scream. She felt his arms tighten around her waist and neck. The pain in her neck was almost completely invisible right now, what was most prominent in her mind was the strange sensation.  
  
It wasn't as she thought it must be for someone to loose their blood. Actually it wasn't like she was loosing blood, it was like she was loosing her life's energy. It was a dizzying sensation, like when you're on something that is spinning way to fast and then it having just stopped. She could feel her breaths shortening and her mind starting to wonder about things like eternity, the end of time, all the things humans pretend won't happen to them.  
  
Nothing could compare to this strange sensation. Her mind became cloudy, darkness covering her vision. 'NO!' her mind screamed, 'I am not ready to die yet!' Her mind suddenly straitened itself. She could think clear, her dizzy haze gone, but the thoughts of eternity, the end of time, the beginning, they did not leave. She didn't understand it really, but when her mind went completely vacant she didn't try to stop it.  
  
He pulled away and held the unconscious woman-child in his arms. He hadn't expected her to do that at all. This girl seemed to innocent to allow her mind to fall into the dark world of nightly hunts, killings, or anything of that nature. Yet she had decided for herself. She was now one of his kind, a night walking vampire.  
  
Scooping her into his arms bridal style, he began walking toward the castle Cain and him once shared. Cain was gone and the place seemed empty, though it really wasn't, there were others like himself there, but they didn't do much, they didn't talk about anything but feeding. Shido didn't understand why that bothered him, he was a vampire, humans his food, but that didn't seem right somehow. . .  
  
Hopefully this girl would prove to be more of a conversationalist than the others are. He didn't mind the fact that he would end up teaching her, it would probably be enjoyable.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Miro stood in the shadows, his eyes gold like an aged vampires, his hair black as the shadows in which he crept, he watched as everything took place. He didn't know why he hadn't helped Riho, probably because she was a fool, looking for him like she was. He was dead, or at least, partially. Two nights ago the same thing had happened to him that had just happened to Riho.  
  
He had expected her to die, she didn't seem like one to accept eternity of being hated, persecuted against, and hunted willingly, yet he had seen the entire thing.  
  
Accepting eternity, he had done the same thing, but his reasons were the obvious ones. He didn't mind hiding from the light of the sun, the damn thing was to bright to begin with. He didn't mind being persecuted, he was already persecuted enough.  
  
Eternity, he had paid for what he wanted with eternal life, some would think of eternity as a blessing, but Miro was no fool he knew better. Eternity on earth was not going to be an enjoyable experience.  
  
Why then? What did he want? The answer was a simple one, he thought, power. The stronger he became the more joy he would feel. That was what he wanted, to be strong, selfish he knew, but that was the nature of the human race, greed. He wasn't one of those ignorant creatures any longer, and he treasured that fact greatly.  
  
What was bothering him though, was the fact that Riho, the pure and innocent girl she was, could not have possibly understood. This silver-hair vampire had tricked her in some way. Riho wasn't ready for such things, plus the fact that it would take her years to fully understand what this vampire had done to her.  
  
Miro smirked, he knew a lot, more than most do after living one hundred years. The reason he knew was because he had a bit of telepathic power as a human, when the vampire had bitten him before he had read through his mind, looking, learning. In only a matter of seconds he had aged hundreds of years.  
  
He looked through his memory, the part that wasn't his alone to find out if he knew who that vampire was. Sure enough the memory did come to him. His name was Shido, he was changed by Cain, also a lover of Cain's. Now, Miro didn't like that thought at all. Not only did it appear that Shido liked men, but he liked women as well. Which pretty much meant that Riho was in a bit of trouble.  
  
This was inexcusable! Though he didn't understand why he even cared, he could not allow that to happen to the poor woman-child. Looking up at the sky he estimated dawn would come in less than three hours. Shido wouldn't try to do anything with the young girl probably for a week or more, when she had adjusted to her changes.  
  
The moment he did though, Miro would kick his ass and send him into hell where he and the rest of their kind rightfully belonged. For now though, he would simply hunt, and wait.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Death: This is interesting don't you think? It's as though I've been bitten myself, luckily that's not true.  
  
I must warn you, later on my cousin will start barging in on my authors notes. For now she hasn't, and I'd like to keep it that way, but alas, such things will not come about. Ja Ne. 


	2. Night 2

Death: Hello, this is chapter two. Obviously.  
  
Yuki: Hello!  
  
Death: Damn, knew you would come sooner or later.  
  
Yuki: WOW! NIGHTWALKER STORY!!!!  
  
Death: Yes, a Nightwalker story, how very astute of you.  
  
Yuki: A-stute? What's that mean?  
  
Death: Never mind, any way, no I don't own Nightwalker, I wish I did but I don't. Also, I-  
  
Yuki: Need reviews?  
  
Death: Yes, but that's not what I was-  
  
Yuki: Going to say?  
  
Death: Stop-  
  
Yuki: That!  
  
Death: GRRRR! Ja-  
  
Yuki: Ne! Wait! Hey why did you! You tricked-  
  
**Chapter 2**  
  
**First Night**  
  
Riho's head hurt, and badly at that. Something was terribly wrong but she couldn't seem to think of what. She didn't remember when she had fallen asleep, as a matter of fact, she couldn't remember why she had gone to sleep, nor of where.  
  
She thought for a moment, she remembered going out to look for Miro, then the sun had set. . . Suddenly her mind clicked where it was supposed too. Vampire, she had been bitten by a gorgeous vampire then had blacked out.  
  
Her eyes shot open to find herself starring at some kind of black roof, or lid. Where was this? Movement to her right alerted her to the fact that she was not alone.  
  
She snapped her head forcefully to the right and found herself starring into amused golden-yellow eyes. She just stared at him for a second, about ready to scream when he moved. Gently, probably too gently he moved his hand to her face and pushed some of her long hair behind her ear.  
  
"Good evening." He said cool and smoothly.  
  
Riho didn't say anything. Just kept looking at him confused. That's when she noticed she was only wearing her undergarments, and her hair was down. Sure her underclothes covered most of her up, including her stomach, but it was still inappropriate!  
  
Opening her mouth to scream, Riho took a deep breath but was cut short.  
  
"Don't bother too scream." The man said sternly. When Riho shut her mouth he continued, "I am Shido, current lord of this castle in the absence of Cain. Who are you, prey tell?"  
  
"R-Riho," She answered shakily, "why am I here? And how come I'm wearing my underclothes?"  
  
"You are here because had I left you where you were the sun surely would have burned your skin off. You are wearing your underclothes because it would be uncomfortable to sleep in your dress." He answered coolly. "You are a vampire now. Do you understand that?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It was your choice not mine." He answered laying back, "You easily could have just died, you chose to live and this is the result."  
  
Riho tried to sit up but bumped her already throbbing head on the lid. "Ouch. . . " she moaned.  
  
Shido smiled fighting a laugh. His prediction was already being proven this Riho girl was much more interesting than the rest of the dead beats here. "You should be careful you know." As he said that he reached up and pushed the lid on his coffin open.  
  
Riho shivered as she sat up completely. She had slept in a coffin? She looked at Shido who had also gotten up and her eyes bugged. "Y-you-"  
  
"I what?"  
  
"D-don't don't"  
  
"Don't what?" Shido asked sounding strangely impatient.  
  
"Don't have any clothes on!" Riho burst out blushing and closing her eyes.  
  
Shido blinked and then looked himself over, "Well that's a true statement. Why would I wear clothes to sleep in? They're uncomfortable."  
  
"Since when did a vampire worry about comfort while they slept?" Riho didn't open her eyes but did search around for some way to push up and get out.  
  
Shido shrugged, "I don't know why, we just do." With that he jumped out of the coffin. "You can open your eyes now." He said plainly.  
  
At first she was hesitant but she did in fact open her eyes. "Wow, you move fast." And he did, his clothes were all on in only a matter of seconds.  
  
"It is something I've gotten used to over time." His face took on a serious expression. "Come, tonight will be your first night hunting."  
  
"H-hunting? No way!" There was no way Riho was prepared too take another's life. She couldn't, it seemed so wrong too kill someone for the satisfaction of hunger. . .  
  
Shido sighed, "I was afraid you would say that. If you will not hunt tonight then come with me, I've something too show you."  
  
"Like what?" Riho said sounding demanding.  
  
"Just come with me for now, I'll explain when we get there." He started walking towards the door to the room. "You'll find some clothes in a dresser over to your left."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Riho followed him wordlessly. She didn't know where they were going, but she had a feeling that she didn't want to know, either that or it would make her world come down upon her. She couldn't believe fully that she was a vampire, part of her mind was in complete denial.  
  
He was leading silently, only adding to her suspicions. Her hair swung on her back carelessly as she glided down the nearly completely dark hallway. Her blue eyes now shining with curiosity and immortality darted from side to side looking for anything interesting.  
  
The walls were lined with fine red and black silk curtains. Between the curtains were portraits of people, all of which were vampires from what she could gather of them. Then again it was so dark in the hallway she could easily have mistaken their appearance.  
  
Shido glanced over his shoulder. She was a curious one, a good thing in his book. She seemed intrigued by the portraits. They were of the vampires in his castle, the ones that were covered in black had left, and that same material covered Cain's picture.  
  
The ones covered in red, however, were the ones who had been slain. If they had a symbol sewn on them, they had been avenged, if not then they were being avenged. Luckily, most of them had been avenged already, but there was one portrait, covered in pink instead of red, that one had not been avenged, and she would never be, because of him.  
  
Shido mentally shook himself. He didn't need to dwell on the past right now, he had the rest of eternity to do that, besides, he couldn't really remember who the girl was, but she WAS someone from his past, a past that he would probably never remember.  
  
No, he had more important things to take care of now. He started up a set of steps, he hadn't shown anyone this place, not even Cain. This place was special to him for what reason, he didn't know, but unlike the rest of the vampires in this place, he felt that this Riho might actually appreciate his little hide away.  
  
He began down another hall, passing over an open door as though it were nothing.  
  
Riho didn't pass this door however. She looked in curios as to what was in there.  
  
What she saw didn't make her feel any better, however. Inside were five male vampires, and one human girl. She was dead, five puncture wounds were they had drained her, probably dry. The five of them were sitting around her dead form laughing at some joke with small trickles of blood running down each of their cheeks.  
  
Shido noticed that she had stopped and went back to see what was the matter, she was looking into one of the rooms. A look of disgust on her face.  
  
He went back and looked into the room, to be honest, that was happening in many rooms around the castle. What surprised him though, was not what was in the room itself, but the look on Riho's face, most women wouldn't be disgusted, they would be horrified, she didn't seem to be horrified in the least way.  
  
"Come," Shido whispered into her ear, "forget this for now." She looked at him, her eyes still blue as humans, with slight anger burning in them.  
  
He turned wordlessly and began walking ahead again, leading her to where it was he still planned on going to. He felt her presence behind him as she too began walking.  
  
What neither of them caught, however, was the oldest vampire from the group of five had looked over and had seen Riho. His eyes had narrowed for a moment before he became emerged in the conversation again.  
  
Riho didn't like this way of life that was the first time she had actually SEEN vampires feeding, well, aside from last night when she was part of the action. The wrong part though.  
  
Could she actually do this? Live this way, feeding on blood? She shivered, that didn't seem all that pleasant, for now she would avoid feeding if at all possible. Hell, she was a vampire, she wasn't going to die that easily now.  
  
The hallway they were in started to become steep, like a hill, at the end were spiral stairs that went strait up. After going up once she thought they would go up them, but Shido went down.  
  
"No one knows of this place," he told her, "and if they find it they don't know that it's special." He told her casually.  
  
He started down another hall, but didn't go down all the way, another set of spiral stairs was hidden behind a curtain, he went up them and motioned for her too follow.  
  
She did, though she couldn't understand why he would hide anything so well. Why not let the others see this place? Why let her see this place if he wouldn't let anyone else? Was it that strange, or was he trying to convince her she should accept her new vampire blood and need to feed on humans?  
  
The stairs went up for a long while, then stopped at another hall, this one seemed not to have been cleaned in a very long time. At the very back part of the hallway there was a pink curtain, just there, Riho found herself feeling really curios and wondered what was behind that particular curtain, was that where they were going?  
  
But Shido walked into a door, a room full of weapons, a fighting arena of sorts. The floor was without carpet and completely gray, like the rest of the walls in this place.  
  
Shido pushed a wall and revealed yet another set of steps. This place must really be special to him, Riho decided, or else he wouldn't have taken so much trouble to keep it secret.  
  
Finally at the top there were four stone walls surrounding them. Riho looked uncertain, there wasn't room here hardly for both of them to stand, had he taken a wrong turn or something? But he had seemed so sure about where they were going, it didn't make much sense.  
  
Shido removed the doubt from her mind when he pushed on one of the walls revealing the fact that it was actually a door of sorts.  
  
The midnight air hit her like a tun of bricks. This place led to the outside?  
  
Shido stepped forward and turned to motion for her to follow him again. "This place is very special to me, I come here quit often."  
  
Riho stepped forward, she didn't see why it was really all that special right now, it appeared to simply be the roof. She could see a tower of two on each side of the caste, but other than that she could only see the back, and sides.  
  
It looked like an open top box all around it was surrounded by wall, except for directly above, and in front of them.  
  
"Look over the side." Shido directed. "You need to know this."  
  
Riho looked over the edge, she could see the village, everyone was inside from what she could tell, no light was coming form inside, and all candles were out.  
  
"This is the kingdom of the night creatures, a place you are now a part of." He stepped right next to her, looking out rather than looking at her. "The people of that village are no different than any other village."  
  
Riho turned her head to look at him. His voice was different than it had been earlier, he seemed slightly sad.  
  
"Humans, are like to us as this castle is to their village." He looked at Riho, she didn't seem to get the comparison, "This castle rest above their heads, eternal in it's surroundings, part of the ever changing times but still separate from everything, unchanging. The human village will grow, change, build and one day is destroyed. Vampires aren't so different from this castle, humans, their village."  
  
Riho broke their eye contact and looked out over the slumbering village below. What Shido was saying made perfect sense. So much so that she was completely confused. "How can you, can WE accept such a fate?"  
  
Shido looked strait forward, " I don't really know, I suppose we never really do. As humans we want to be eternal, most humans can't live with the very knowledge that they will one-day die. But when we become vampires we only wish for the peaceful and blissfully short lives of humans. Even if you don't know it yet, you will soon."  
  
"How old are you, really?" Riho asked turning her head to look at him again.  
  
"I-I don't know really. But I've been a vampire well over a hundred years." He answered with an even deeper sadness.  
  
'He doesn't know? How can he not know?' she wondered. 'Will I too, forget how old I am?'  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Death: And so ends chapter two. By the way, there will be another reason that Shido likes that spot, but that won't be for a few more chapters.  
  
Yuki: But I wanna know NOW!!!!  
  
Death: Stop your whining.  
  
Yuki: Your so mean to me!  
  
Death: You're my cousin, I'm allowed.  
  
Yuki: BAD DOG!  
  
Death: Grrr. Shut up neko!  
  
Yuki: By the way, Death is really a dog half demon!  
  
Death: Say half demon again and I'll KILL YOU!!!  
  
Yuki: Half demon, half demon, Death is a half demon, la la la!  
  
Death: That's it, you die now! Ja Ne everyone, and don't forget to review. 


	3. Time to feed

Death: Hello. I hope the few who are reading this are enjoying it. I am only writing for my own and my cousin's amusement. I personally couldn't care much for reviews it's just they make me feel. I don't know, proud of my work, and I know most people prefer yaoi when it comes to NightWalker stories but I don't and there being I write on the original pairings. Ja Ne.  
  
***Chapter 3***  
  
***Hunt***  
  
"No way!" Riho yelled loud enough to shake the grounds of the very palace.  
  
"You've no choice!" Shido yelled back at her, not nearly as loud but rather stern.  
  
"Uh-Uh! You can't make me!" Riho stormed out of the room that had become 'theirs', and off down the hall though she didn't know where too exactly.  
  
"Riho!" he said sternly, grabbing her upper arm and turning her to face him. "You can't go on like this. You need to feed at some point in time."  
  
"I don't want to kill someone!" her eyes were laced with tears when she said this. "I'm not going to kill someone to feed myself." Her voice had become eerily soft.  
  
Shido sighed he wasn't going to have an easy time about this. "Riho, for now you needn't kill. But three nights without a fix and you've become unhealthy, and I have yet to feed myself."  
  
"I won't, have to kill?" she asked, her voice filled with quiet hope.  
  
"No, but you must feed tonight." He sighed, "Unfortunately, for the both of us, if the person we feed from isn't killed we must be clever about it. They must not see us, or know of our actions." He closed his eyes, "Meaning I'll probably have to knock them out." He sounded as though her was frustrated at the thought, and Riho picked this up. But in truth, he was pleased that he wasn't killing anyone, Cain had told him, time and time again that humans were food, to be prayed upon, but he didn't like it, no matter what they did, it seemed. WRONG to him, and that was the real cause of his frustration.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm just not able to take a human life." Riho said apologetically.  
  
"It is fine for this night, but sooner or later you'll have to face it." He said softly to her, as though addressing a small child.  
  
So they left, like that nothing said after the last thing.  
  
Shido led the way the entire time sure that Riho didn't know much about any of this at all. Most would find taking in a vampire that had yet to drink from their first victim a burden, but Shido found that he quit enjoyed it. His theory on the girl had proven right.  
  
"Stay here a moment, and do not run off." Shido instructed her firmly after pausing for a brief moment. When she stopped and did not say anything Shido took it as a sign of acceptance and left.  
  
He jumped onto the roof of one of the nearby homes and then began leaping and searching for any one suitable, the first person he saw was a young man, putting some firewood up next to his home. The people in the house aside from him must have been sleeping for there were no candles lit in the interior.  
  
He jumped down and hit the boy on the back of his head. The boy, a young adult probably about 16 did not expect nor anticipate any form of attack and when blacking out had no idea what had done that to him.  
  
Shido looked down at the unconscious boy and suddenly felt a twinge of guilt, the boy would not be able to perform his regular duties tomorrow and his parents would probably accuse him of alcoholic overdosing or something like that. But all in all, the boy would recover and be fine.  
  
So he picked the boy up and tossed him over his right shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He returned to the roofs and went back to Riho whom was standing in the same place he had left her looking frightful and nervous.  
  
He landed gracefully in front of her and dropped the boy in front of her. She shrieked and took a couple of steps back with her eyes closed.  
  
"Riho, you must know that this boy will be fine, so long as you don't indulge too much." Shido said sternly. "If you drink too much this boy will either die or become one of us, and considering his unconscious state he'll most likely die. For he won't have much mind to make a decision."  
  
Riho looked from the boy to Shido and then back again. Her body was craving this boy but her heart was crying for him. 'I don't have to kill him.' she thought in an effort to reassure herself.  
  
She bent down and placed the boy's head on her lap. 'God, am I really going to do this?' but she had a feeling that god was laughing at her this very moment and couldn't quit ask him anything really.  
  
'Can I do this?' she wondered to herself. There were so many times in her life when decisions hadn't come easy for her yet this one was really hard. Take blood from another? It didn't sound so bad but the action itself was hard. Not to mention it would be admitting her fate as one of the undead.  
  
Her body made the decision for her though. Needing fuel from this boy to sustain her. She bent her head down and found that her fangs, having been long since she had become a vampire, had managed to grow and sharpen just a bit.  
  
She sunk her fangs into the junction between the boy's neck and shoulder and started to feed.  
  
Her mind became nearly empty as she started and the blood in her system wasn't blood at all. It was food and energy, it was life and it was death. Blood wasn't as she had expected at all, no wonder humans could never understand why it was a vampire drank, and no wonder when her blood had been drawn she had felt as though her life's energy was going from her. Her life wasn't the only thing coming with her blood, her heart her soul, her death, everything was coming from her when that had happened.  
  
A gentle voice spoke to her and she couldn't quit make out the words, but she pulled back to look at Shido. He seemed to have a soft expression on his face, as though he was trying to be sympathetic.  
  
Her mind cleared a moment and she realized she had nearly gone to far. The boy was now hanging between life and death but she was sure he would be fine.  
  
Shido noticed the change in her when she had drunk the blood of her first victim he had always known what she knew now. She was going to hate him for this and he knew, but for now she was confused and nothing more.  
  
After they got back from hunting Riho held her stomach, she felt satisfied as far as hunger wise, but she didn't like what she had to do.  
  
Shido placed his hand delicately on her shoulder, "Are you alright?" he asked earnestly.  
  
Riho nodded, things were unfair in this world, and she could now see this through new eyes, eyes that had started to change from innocent blue to another color. A color she had seen the moment before her human life had ended. She felt so strange, knowing that as her eyes changed so would her soul, if she even still had one.  
  
Her soul, did being a vampire mean she would loose it eventually? She had to know, "Shido," she asked shyly. "I have a question."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Does being a vampire mean that I will loose my soul?"  
  
Shido was taken aback. He had not anticipated that at all. He was kind of ashamed to admit that he himself had thought on the very subject for a very long time. He still felt as though he had his soul, but how could he define having a soul? Did feelings make up a soul? Or was it something on a completely different plain of life? If life defined it, then no, neither of them had souls. But if consciousness and emotion did then, yes, but what if emotion were merely signals sent from the mind? He couldn't tell, he didn't know, he would only know if he was killed and that wasn't going to happen any time soon.  
  
"I'm not sure." He said truthfully, "You'll have to find that out on your own," he looked into her eyes, "and you have the rest of eternity to do so."  
  
Riho smiled at him warmly even though her face was pale and icy, the warmth in it still shown.  
  
"Shido!" Called a happy sounding voice from down the hall, it was an elderly looking person, he seemed to be drunk or something, his body seemed barely able to stand on it's own. "Back from the hunt I presume?"  
  
Shido turned to look at the man, "Corin. Have you been mixing blood with alcohol again?"  
  
Corin reached them, smiling from ear to ear, "Why no! What would give you that impression?" he bent over and looked up through half closed eyes at Shido, "I mean, why would I drink alco-hic-hol?"  
  
Shido sweat-dropped and raised one eyebrow, "It's just that, well."  
  
"OH! And who is THIS young lady?" He said interrupting Shido and looking at Riho before grabbing both of her hands in his. "Why what a beautiful -hic- young woman!"  
  
"Eh-heh, thanks," Riho said taking her hands out of the man's.  
  
He grabbed her hands again, "No-no! The truth should deserve no -hic- thank you! Perhaps." suddenly his eyes seemed to become serious as he looked into her eyes strait, "We will meet later." his smile returned after that and he started to skip dizzily down the hallway away from Riho and Shido.  
  
"Um. That was Corin, he's a bit eccentric but you'll get used to him, he's really not so bad when he isn't drinking." Shido sighed and put a hand to his head, "Even if he is one of the most perverted vampires of all."  
  
"You're one to talk Shido!" A high pitched voice said from seemingly no where.  
  
"Guni. What do you want?" it was Guni, the annoying little demon that hung around once in a while, sometimes she would be gone for a long time and sometimes he couldn't get her away with a stick. Lately she'd been sticking closer and parting less often.  
  
"I heard there was a new vampire girl and came to investigate!" she said now flying before his face with her hands on her hips.  
  
"Why would you need to investigate that? There are new vampires every day." Shido said sweat dropping.  
  
"Like I said YOU'RE one to talk about being a pervert! Who is this new girl?" she asked impatiently.  
  
"See for yourself she is right behind me." He said pointing his thumb behind his back at Riho.  
  
Guni flew in front of Riho's face. "Why is she so young?" she looked her up and then down then back again. "You made her a vampire when she was so young?"  
  
"I didn't think she would choose that for one Guni." Shido said, "And she's not so young really."  
  
"Hello! I'm standing right here!" Riho yelled at Guni who was blown away, literally.  
  
Guni flew right back up again, determined to win an argument. "What a spoiled rotten brat! You're so young you don't know which way is up I bet!"  
  
"You're so small I'm surprised you find enough air to yell! You should have been squished by now! ."  
  
(You get the general idea, they argued. And then they argued, it went on and on and ON like that for a while!)  
  
Shido didn't even attempt to break up the feud it would have been a useless waist of breath. He knew Guni and he knew Riho from the intake of her blood. They were both stubborn and neither would listen to him so he turned and walked down the hallway. He had something to speak to someone on.  
  
Shido entered a hall, and looked around, there was one person in this entire house that he could look to for advice. Even if that one person did have a tendency to talk on and on forever, and even if his favorite topic was the mutilation of human bodies, he was very wise.  
  
He opened a door, and walked into a room with many more doors in a circle. The doors all opened and different types of winds blew from them. Some cold, some warm, some soft and others strong. But one wind caught his attention, it wasn't warm or cold, strong or weak, also it had a fragrance to it. Kind of like flowers in a field after a great human battle where much blood was spilt.  
  
He walked through that door which happened to be the one on his upper right. Last time he had come here the door had been on the left, so thus proving his theory that this room spun in a circle at some points in time.  
  
When Shido went through the door he hoped that he wasn't wrong about this door, because if her were then he would be doomed to wander endless mazes for the rest of eternity. That's what had happened to more than one person in the past when they came seeking this man's or vampire's aged intelligence.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Death: If you still like it review, if not then don't. I don't care either way I'm going to continue writing and posting. Ja Ne. 


	4. you know what!

****Chapter 4****  
  
****An aged vampire****  
  
When Shido entered the door he found that the entire room was cold and dark, a strong sign that the vampire he was seeking was in fact there.  
  
"What do you want Shido?" A male's voice asked from the darkness.  
  
"I come in search of advice Maru." Shido answered, "Perhaps you might light a fire?"  
  
As he said it so was it. The light came from a fireplace so suddenly it nearly threw Shido off his balance and onto the floor. He remained stationary however, having the advantage of already knowing that Maru would do that.  
  
"So what do you want exactly, Shido." He said coming into the light. No one would believe that this particular vampire was the oldest in the castle, for he didn't look it. He was somewhere around 400 and some years old, yet his body was doomed to take on the characteristics of an 11-year-old for the rest of his eternity.  
  
"I need to know something, there are some questions that I need to find the answers to but," he sighed, "I am lost."  
  
"So I see," he walked over to where two chairs sat adjacent from one another. "Please, feel free to sit."  
  
Shido did as he was invited to and sat.  
  
"Now, tell me what troubles you so badly." He said bringing his feet in a crossed position in his chair. "Trouble with the humans perhaps? Or maybe the portrait hanging in that hall. The one covered in pink?"  
  
"No," he said flatly, "it is something I have been dwelling on for a while but has now taken on a new position in my mind."  
  
The boy put his elbows on the arms of the chair and raised an eyebrow, "So I see, could this have anything to do with the new vampire girl running about?"  
  
"Well," he said scratching the back of his head, "I'm kind of surprised you know about her already Maru."  
  
Maru put his hand up in dismissal, "I know of everything that goes on in this castle Shido, you can hide nothing from me."  
  
"Yes, very well." Shido took on a serious attitude, "I want to know, or rather I need to know. Do I still posses a soul?"  
  
Maru sat back in his chair, "Shido you come to me with a very hard question to answer." He sighed, "Many vampires wonder of this, and until their demises they do not know."  
  
"Are you telling me that you yourself do not know the answer?" Shido wondered in disbelief, would he have to wait so many years before he learned?  
  
"No. I do know the answer, I've known for the longest time." He looked Shido directly in the eyes. "Are you positive you want to know?"  
  
"Yes, I need to know." Shido answered seriously.  
  
"Very well, tell me Shido, do you think of death often?" Maru asked.  
  
Shido thought for a moment, "Yes, on many more than one occasion."  
  
"Do you desire it, do you desire to die, leave this world of heartless hate and destruction?" Maru asked.  
  
"I do and yet at the same time I don't." Shido looked away from Maru, instead concentrating on the fire as he spoke. "I want death for the lack of pain there should be, yet I fear it all the same. If I do have a soul certainly I will be condemned to hell, if I don't then I fear non- existence."  
  
"Shido, turn your head to look at me." Maru ordered. Shido did and Maru put a light spell in the air forcing Shido not to loose eye contact. "Listen to me and listen carefully. A spirit does something the mind alone will not. The spirit questions what will happen to it's consciousness after the body stops working.  
  
A soul wants to belong with everyone around it, even if the person themselves denies it. The mind also judges itself and the world around it. But the mind wouldn't desire such if there were no soul to control it." He paused and leaned closer to Shido. "Answer me honestly Shido, do you *only* think of what it takes to live?"  
  
"No." he said flatly, apparently the aged Maru had put a truth spell on him as well.  
  
"The mind only thinks on what it takes to sustain itself in the world. So tell me now Shido, do you believe yourself to posses a soul?"  
  
Shido opened his mouth but no sound came out.  
  
"You are still unsure I see. Think of this Shido, how does a person loose their soul to the flames of hell?"  
  
Shido answered this time. "They die."  
  
"Yes, this is a truth young Shido but also they have to do something in their lives that is horrible. They have to do this and not feel bad about it right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then most vampires, as the living dead, had their souls ripped from their bodies and pulled into hell. Their bodies continue on without the soul, needing food to continue on. They will continue until something stops them and destroys their bodies." Maru leaned back again. "Do you feel guilty when you kill a human?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Do you wish you could give them back their lives? Rid their families of the morning they will go through?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Shido, do you have a soul?" Maru said seriously.  
  
Shido's eyes widened, "Y-yes."  
  
"Very good young vampire." He smiled a bit. "You should leave now. You don't want this old man to continue ranting on and on now do you?" he blinked hard and the spells that were previously cast disappeared. "Besides that young vampire girl and Guni do have to stop arguing one day or another."  
  
Shido found himself laughing at this, the few times he really laughed an honest laugh. "Thank you Maru." He said as he got up to leave. "I really did need to know that."  
  
"I know Shido, believe me, I know." He heard Maru say as he left through the door he had come in.  
  
Shido looked around and found he was in the hallway again. So he didn't have to try and pick a door again, that was a bit of a relief, after all, having gained all that to have it thrown away in an endless maze wouldn't have been very pleasant.  
  
Walking down the hall he could still hear Guni and Riho arguing loudly. He couldn't even identify what exactly it was they were screaming at each other about but he had a feeling he didn't want to know. 'How does Guni get that loud?' he found himself wondering feeling almost light-hearted.  
  
He came up next to them and put a hand on a screaming Riho's shoulder. "It is almost sun rise. We should rest."  
  
"REST?!?" Guni yelled, "Together?" her mouth dropped about a meter, bigger than she herself was.  
  
Shido nodded, "She is still adjusting to being as she is Guni." Shido said smiling a bit.  
  
"Humph, pervert." Guni whispered as Shido and Riho left down the hall.  
  
"I heard that Guni." Shido said over his shoulder.  
  
"So where did you go any way?" Riho asked with a huff, "Leaving me there to deal with that flying blue-blue-blue whatever she is!"  
  
Shido sweat dropped, "You actually noticed? I thought you were to wrapped up in your arguing to even know where you were to be honest Riho." He scratched the back of his head, "Don't worry about her I think she's just a bit jealous is all."  
  
"I don't like her very much is all." She ranted. "What a little flying brat! She actually called ME a brat can you believe that?" she looked up at Shido who only continued to sweat drop and scratch his head. "Oh I'm so mad!" she said averting her eyes from him. He wasn't exactly encouraging her, but then again why would he? He didn't really know her or anything.  
  
She stopped walking in an instant. She thought about the man she had just drank from, there was no way, there couldn't be, he couldn't could he?  
  
Shido stopped when Riho did, confused as to what was keeping her, "What is wrong?" he asked using a serious tone.  
  
"You, my blood," she put her hands around her throat saying that, "Drank. Know. How. No. Why. I. Everything." She said completely incoherently. Or at least that's the way it appeared.  
  
Shido raised an eyebrow "Um, Riho?" he asked confused.  
  
"You drank my blood! You know everything! How everything has happened! NO NO NO!" she blushed a bit, and for having a lack of blood in her system it wasn't a lot, but even that was plainly visible on her very pale skin. "Why did this happen? I can't believe it you know everything!"  
  
"Not everything Riho, just enough."  
  
"How much is that exactly?" Riho pulled her hands in front of her chest in balled fist.  
  
"Well, I um," he had two choices, lie, or tell the truth, both of which would be bad for him in some way.  
  
"Do you, do you know that I'm, I'm." she began unable to finish the sentence for embarrassment.  
  
"Still a virgin?" he regretted saying it the moment it left his lips. She turned to look at him, her eyes glaring wholes in his head.  
  
"YOU KNOW THAT?!?"  
  
(Birds in the distance flew away from the castle.) 


End file.
